Attempted murder charge dismissed against Questelles man

The attempted murder charge laid against Questelles resident Moah Williams was withdrawn last Thursday when the Preliminary Inquiry (PI) into the matter concluded.

Williams, who is currently serving a five-year prison sentence for gun and ammunition possession, had also been charged for the attempted murder of Jonathan John of Questelles.

In an interview with SEARCHLIGHT in April 2016, John said he was on his way home with a friend when a gunman met him on a hill opposite the former location of the Questelles Police Station.

John, who was at the time of the interview wheelchair-bound, said he was shot in the ankle, following which he fell to the ground, then was shot again in the back before the gunman fled.

On Monday, April 11, 2016 around 11:40 a.m., a party of Rapid Response Unit (RRU) personnel, along with members of the Questelles Police Station, found a .40 mm Smith and Wesson firearm with an unknown serial number and ammunition in an old fridge at the back of Williams’ home.

Williams pleaded guilty to possession of the firearm and ammunition, a plea he changed after he received legal representation.

The Questelles man has been in police custody since his arrest in April last year.

The PI into John’s shooting saw testimonies from one medical practitioner, John himself, a man who lived in the vicinity and the police officer who charged Williams.

After hearing all of the testimonies admitted into evidence, Williams’ lawyer Grant Connell pointed out some discrepancies.

“There was significant holes in the case from identification, from the doctor saying that she could tell how the injuries were sustained; there was no lead or bullets retrieved,” he told SEARCHLIGHT.

The lawyer said neither John nor the neighbour who gave evidence could tell who shot John. He also noted that there was no identification parade, adding that it was the arresting officer who suggested that it was Williams who shot John.

According to Connell, the medical practitioner said the first wound to John’s ankle wasn’t life threatening.

Chief Magistrate Rechanne Browne-Matthias discontinued the case. (AS)